Pyelonephritis in pregnancy: signs, diagnosis, treatment, danger

One of the most common and dangerous diseases during pregnancy is pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). About 10% of women who are carrying a baby face it.

In this case, pyelonephritis during pregnancy can be either acute or chronic. In women who are carrying the baby for the first time, the probability to get acquainted with the inflammation of the kidneys is higher, because the body is more difficult to adapt to a new condition for itself.

Why does pyelonephritis arise during pregnancy so often? In future mothers, immunity decreases, so infection is easier to penetrate into the body. In addition, a change in the hormonal background, and especially an increased amount of progesterone, leads to a decrease in the tone of all parts of the urinary system, previously effectively preventing the penetration of microorganisms.

In addition, pyelonephritis during pregnancy also arises because the increasing uterus presses on the kidneys, bladder and ureters, disrupting the blood circulation in them and a normal outflow of urine. This leads to its stagnation and active reproduction of pathogenic microflora.

So, the signs of pyelonephritis during pregnancy are: low back pain, fever, cloudy urine. Often it is combined with cystitis, then more frequent urination with cuts, abdominal pain, is added to the symptoms. This is the manifestation of acute pyelonephritis, and the finding by the future mom of these signs is an occasion to visit the doctor immediately. Treatment will be conducted in a hospital under the supervision of gynecologists, urologists and nephrologists.

Chronic pyelonephritis during pregnancy can be asymptomatic, sometimes exacerbated. In this case, the manifestations are similar to the signs of acute inflammation of the kidneys, but they are less pronounced. However, it poses a great danger for the mother and fetus, than acute, since it can not affect pregnancy in a timely and qualitative way.

But chronic pyelonephritis in 20% of cases leads to serious complications. Even if it appeared before the conception of the baby and was not exacerbated after it. Especially dangerous is the development of arterial hypertension and kidney failure during pregnancy. In this situation, there is a threat of losing the baby and the life of the mother. In addition, this disease contributes to the occurrence of anemia and toxicosis. It is also possible to infect the fetus with varying degrees of severity.

Therefore, all prescribed tests should be taken, especially urine. He also allows to suspect the future mummy presence of this disease. If in the analysis there are bacteria, protein, leukocytes in amounts exceeding the norm, then this is an occasion to conduct additional studies.

Biochemistry of blood allows you to determine in it the increased concentration of creatine and urea. And its general analysis helps to detect an increased number of leukocytes and ESR (the rate of precipitation of red blood cells), which indicate inflammation.

Zemnitsky's sample is used to diagnose renal failure, in which the concentration ability of the kidneys decreases. The Nechiporenko analysis allows to determine the number of white blood cells in the urine. It is absolutely safe and necessary in this situation to carry out ultrasound of the kidneys. It allows you to see the structural changes in them.

Treatment is done with antibiotics that are allowed on the appropriate date. With chronic pyelonephritis, urine culture is done to determine the pathogen and the drug of choice. The effectiveness of treatment is necessarily controlled by analysis.

Thus, pyelonephritis in pregnancy should be treated in a timely manner to avoid serious complications. It is done in a hospital under the supervision of gynecologists, urologists and nephrologists.